DETROIT -- The compliment couldn't have come from a more established center fielder, and it only reinforced the Boston Red Sox's commitment to Jackie Bradley Jr., despite his disappointing production at the plate.

Torii Hunter, the active leader in Gold Glove Awards with nine during his career (all at center field, where only Andruw Jones, Ken Griffey Jr. and Willie Mays have collected more hardware), thinks Bradley looks like anything but a rookie.

If a rookie "has any kind of loops or Us in (his path to a ball), that's something that he can probably work on," said Hunter, now playing right field for the Tigers. "He doesn't have that. He goes straight to the ball. His routes are A to B. He doesn't have no A, B and C. He has A to B, goes right to it on a straight line, and that's when I know that this guy has it all together. And I've seen him do that several times so far."

Watching Bradley track down a tailing line drive (and adjust to the strange Comerica Park wind tunnel that has a way of eating up even the best center fielders) during the Red Sox's 6-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Friday night, Hunter was impressed. Bradley then threw out Miguel Cabrera, who assumed the ball was dropping and had already rounded second, for the double play.

"I didn't think he was going to get to it," Hunter said. "Miggy didn't think he was going to get to it. For him to do that, you've got to be very talented out there.

"Yeah, he's pretty good."

Hunter, the player Bradley has often called one of his idols for his "Web Gems" in center field, said he's been talking to Bradley on Twitter for years and had a chance to meet him this season.

"He's a great kid," Hunter said.

If Bradley wants to go to dinner and pick Hunter's brain, the Gold Glove collector is all for it.

Bradley entered Saturday's game hitting .200 with a .282 on-base percentage, though his defense has kept him in the lineup regularly.

Asked if Bradley might get a day off after an 0-for-3 performance with three strikeouts on Friday, Red Sox manager John Farrell said no, "he's contributing defensively."

Having watched Bradley play in just a few games, Hunter can see why the Red Sox are sticking with him.

"You can help your team, you can make an impact -- you save runs," Hunter said. "Like that (play on Friday), that would've scored two runs because Miggy was running. He saved one run from that. It would've been (3-1) if it wasn't for (Bradley).

"So, at the plate, if he's 0-for-3, he had an RBI. For me, that's an RBI. He helped his team by eliminiating one run just because of the way he plays in center field. I really think being a premier center fielder, you can help those guys."